The Plays the Thing
by PicassoWithAPencil
Summary: When the town of Senoia decides to put on the play of "Romeo and Juliet", two people might just fall in love along the way.
**Authors Note: I'm going through a bit of Shakespeare phase so I'm sorry about all the references. I am updating Helping Hand sometime this week! Yay! My book was being shunned and it needed me so I took time to work on the that.**

It was all Lori's idea. She said it came to her while she was teaching her high school English class. She claimed that her students weren't getting the real message of Romeo and Juliet. Quoting one of her students, they claimed it to be, 'a dumbass romance novel.'

Lori now had her heart set on proving that it was more than that. She finally figured out what she would do after going to a teacher conference in New York, far from Senioa. She had seen a Broadway version of the play with the other English teachers.

So that explains why the entire town was now working on their own version of Romeo and Juliet. She claimed that it would 'bring the town together' and show her students 'the real meaning of the story.' So everyone nearly dropped dead when Daryl Dixon actually showed up to help.

 _Day 1_

The first day of production started on a cold,

January afternoon. Lori had gathered the entire town to pass out parts. She'd given the part of Juliet to some blonde chick named Andrea Harrison. Lori reminded them the actor for Juliet would usually be a guy, but she thought this would ring better with her students.

Shane was cast as Mercutio, Rick as Benvolio, Philip Blake as Tybalt and so forth. Of course, nothing was a greater shock than when Lori requested Daryl as Romeo. Daryl objected at once, and so did the rest of the town.

He'd never known _how_ to love anyone before. He could never play the lovesick puppy that was Romeo.

That was exactly why Lori said he should do it. Maybe it would teach him something.

He only did it because she wouldn't accept anyone else. Not even Jimmy, who would've been perfect, what with the way he was drooling over the shy production girl who never said a word.

Enter Beth Greene.

She was eager to help with the play, especially since she absolutely adored Romeo and Juliet. However, she had _major_ stage fright, and would rather try to make the settings as beautiful as she could. Yes, Beth would have loved to be Juliet.

Yet, her Romeo seemed to be less than happy about his part. She wasn't even sure this guy could say more than two words. _Stop it Beth. You don't judge people before you get a chance to know them._ Beth might have gone over to say hello, make him feel welcome.

But she was still too shy.

 _Day 4_

It was almost a week since they started and no progress whatsoever had been made. They had zoomed quickly through the scenes without Romeo, but the minute Daryl was called out, production slowed to a crawl.

He could barely get his lines out and no one was bothering to help him.

Yes, he was the perfect Romeo. If Romeo was a mute.

Beth Greene wasn't faring much better. The other girl on her team, Sasha, had quit two days in. No one else seemed to want to help her at all, for who wants to be _just_ behind the scenes? Sasha had even reminded her the _words_ were more important in Shakespeare plays.

Beth was no idiot. She knew this. How could a Shakespeare enthusiast such as herself _not?_ So Beth rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan and got to work. No way was she listening.

She wanted to make sure people fell in love with Romeo and Juliet just like they fell in love with each other.

 _Day 8_

Everyone had a specific place to break for lunch. Most of the cast stuck around to eat with each other, but some people left. Most people were very friendly and sociable. Except for two.

Daryl sat by himself on one side of the amphitheater, Beth on the other.

They didn't cross paths till day eight.

Daryl was sitting under the pomegranate tree Beth had made for the set. He wasn't about to admit it was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. She would laugh in his face if he _ever_ talked to her.

"Hey!"

He glanced over to the source of the shout. Jimmy and Zach, two boys who played servants, had taken Beth's giant Coke bottle glasses away from her. Daryl narrowed his eyes at them. They had both asked Beth out once or twice and she said no to both of them. They must want some sort of revenge on her.

"Jimmy that's not funny! You know I can't see without them!" Beth was stumbling around, trying to catch Jimmy, while Zach was laughing at the whole damn thing. Jimmy threw her glasses halfway across the amphitheater and they landing with a sickening crunch.

Beth tried to run over to get them, but she tripped over that ridiculously long librarian skirt she always wore. Jimmy and Zach burst into tears, they were laughing so hard. Daryl decided this was enough. He picked up her shattered glasses and walked over to her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

He placed her glasses into her hand and said, "Here." Beth smiled at him, and Daryl felt a rush of heat at that glimpse of pure white teeth and small lips coated in… Chapstick? He wanted to scoff. What was this woman? Sixty? Her sweet voice jolted him awake.

"I don't really know you because I've never heard your voice. And obviously I can't see you because my glasses are broken. But thank you sir. Your chivalry is much appreciated."

As she walked away, and as Jimmy and Zach stared on in shock, he realized that was the most he'd ever heard her say.

 _Day 12_

Beth was still obsessing over the mysterious stranger who'd given her glasses back. He'd never approached her afterwards, and she never heard his voice again. She now swiped her paintbrush over the roses she was making for the balcony scene.

This was Beth's favorite scene of all time. Most people didn't like it because it was too mushy for their taste. Beth, however, thought it was a profession of true love. Not that Beth would know anything about love, but books and her secret stash of romance movies gave her a good idea.

She glanced up at Romeo, whom she found out was played by Daryl Dixon, and she wondered if he was having the same problem.

Daryl found that he didn't mind playing Romeo too much. He was enjoying it, he just wasn't feeling it. He thought about asking Lori for help, and he did just that. Dixon's were known for being classic screw ups, but this was something he was determined to do right.

 _Day 16_

He already was feeling a lot more comfortable with his lines, what with speaking in the Elizabethan style of language. He was even starting to feel the character, but only through the sorrow he felt at the beginning of the play and at the end.

Yes, Daryl Dixon was no stranger to sorrow, and often welcomed it as a friend, simply because anything was better than being numb.

In light of those thoughts, that was what he decided to work on with Lori today. As he walked down the steps into the empty amphitheater, he realized he wasn't alone.

Lori had said she would be a little late, so whoever was here couldn't be her. He walked over to them quietly, as if he were hunting out in the woods. Imagine, to his own surprise, it was actually a doe he found.

Little Beth Greene was standing in the middle of the stage. She was pacing across center stage, when she suddenly fell to the ground and started to cry. Daryl, for whatever stupid reason, was about to run down and help her.

Until he realized she was acting.

" _But with a rear-ward following Tybalt's death,_

' _Romeo is banished', to speak that word,_

 _Is father, mother, Tybalt, Romeo, Juliet,_

 _All slain, all dead. 'Romeo is banished!'_

 _There is no end, no limit, measure, bound_

 _In that word's death; no words can that woe sound."_

Daryl recognized this as Juliet's part in Capulet's Orchard after Romeo was banished. Once again, he was impressed with Beth, and admittedly a little shocked. He watched Andrea practice this scene dozens of times, but none of those times were as up to par as what Beth was doing now.

Suddenly he was confused as to why Beth didn't volunteer to play Juliet. Was it because of him and his background? For a second, he was absolutely convinced that's what it was. Until he realized Beth didn't know him nearly well enough to think that.

She was wonderful.

He suddenly realized that she had finished and went to sit down on the steps with her face in her hands.

It was then Daryl remembered how haunted he'd felt after she was done. He had never heard that much sadness in a person's voice before.

Could it be sorrow was a close friend of her's as well?

 _Day 20_

Beth was finished with every other scene but the balcony. It had to be absolutely perfect. That scene was her favorite scene of all. She blushed as she recalled about four nights ago when she was on set after hours.

She knew no one would be there, so she decided to take advantage of it. She had gone through every one of Juliet's lines as if she was performing in front of the whole town.

Of course she would never _really_ do that. She was still too shy.

However, when she had been in the middle of Juliet's reaction to Romeo's banishment, she'd had the sneaking suspicion someone was watching her.

And if they were, she was proud to say she didn't mind.

Daryl was watching Beth again. Ever since that damn banishment scene he probably _wasn't_ supposed to see, he couldn't stop glancing at her every five seconds. He managed it pretty well while he was working, but on his lunch break, which was now, he could observe her all he wished.

She had actually skipped lunch today to work on that stupid balcony again. He almost laughed at this silly endeavor. She had already finished her other sets in a rather impeccable manner, she could've gone home.

Somehow, he knew that wasn't Beth.

Beth suddenly looked up and met his gaze. Daryl found he couldn't look away. Beth pushed her glasses down over her mess of blonde hair, and Daryl noticed the slightest hint of parsimony dusting her cheeks.

He was in so much trouble.

 _Day 24_

Beth was at the theater after hours again. She wanted to be Juliet at least one more time before she had to surrender to being in the background forever.

When she got there, however, she noticed a large figure stalking over the stage like a lion

ready to pounce. She turned another corner and her breath caught in her throat.

It was _Daryl Dixon._ The man who had been staring at her the past four days.

He was _practicing._

And the scene with the Friar no less.

Right after Juliet had gone on her own lecture. Wow, this was ironic.

" _Yet 'banished?' Hang up philosophy!_

 _Unless philosophy can make a Juliet,_

 _Displant a town, reverse a prince's doom_

 _It helps not, it prevails not:_

 _Talk no more."_

Beth let loose an accidental gasp of delight. He was getting so much better!

Unfortunately he heard her.

He turned to look at her, his ice blue eyes blazing cold fire. "What are you doing here girl?" Beth opened her mouth, but no words would come out. "Can't you mind your own business for once?"

She couldn't utter a single syllable, she was too frightened. "Go on! Get out of here!" Beth gulped and started to back away, but true to herself and her clumsy nature, she went and tripped over her skirt.

She fell down _all_ of the concrete steps and skidded to a halt at the other side, glasses askew. She heard footsteps behind her and realized Daryl had come to help her.

She pushed him away and stood up on her own. She shoved her glasses unceremoniously onto her face and didn't bother to hide the tears falling down her face. "Mind _your_ own business Daryl Dixon," she said in a wavering voice.

She raced back to her car where she figured she could have a good cry.

Daryl ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He _really_ screwed up. He had watched her perform almost the exact same scene and she didn't even _know_ about it. He hadn't meant to shout at her.

He was just flustered that she'd seen him. On top of that, he scared her so bad she fell down every single step of the amphitheater. The worst part about it was the fact he'd made her cry.

He'd only seen her cry _tonight_ and he already hated it. It made his heart twist up with pain and guilt. He would have to apologize soon.

If she would ever talk to him again.

 _Day 28_

It was only a few days till the play was completely finished. Beth had finished the balcony set, and she was so proud of it. She'd never paid homage to something quite so well.

There was another reason why she was so happy. They day after what she calls 'the incident', she found a bouquet of white lilies on top of her bag with a sticky note that said 'I'm sorry.'

All of the girls playfully questioned who they were from, but Beth was too shy once again. Of course, they just interpreted it as not wanting to kiss and tell. That was fine. Most people only assumed about her anyway.

Daryl had seen the way her face had lit up at the flowers, and he knew he'd done all right. He knew he'd give pretty much anything to see that every day.

 _Opening Night_

It was a disaster. Andrea had an emergency with her husband Dale at the last minute. They hadn't picked an understory for Juliet because Andrea was convinced nothing would come up. No one knew the part either.

Lori was dejectedly considering holding off until Andrea got back.

That was, until a demure little voice no one ever heard spoke up. It was Beth Greene. "I-I know it." Lori stared at her agape. " _You_ know the part?" Beth nodded. Lori shook her head to clear the shock.

"Okay we have ten minutes to dress her! Let's do it!"

A few minutes to curtain call, Daryl Dixon stood backstage waiting on Beth to finish. He was _extremely_ nervous, and he could only imagine how Beth was feeling. A tiny voice cleared its throat and Daryl turned his head, only to stop straight in his tracks.

Beth's hair was out of its usual messy bun and her glasses had been replaced by contacts. Giant cornflower blue doe eyes stared back, and her blonde tresses fell in waves across the costume.

He barely had time to process how beautiful she was when the play began.

" _Two households, both alike in dignity…."_

The play wasn't nearly as bad as Beth thought. Especially not when she was acting with Daryl. They seemed to have an odd chemistry that just…. Worked.

And when they kissed on that balcony she'd painted with the morning glories, roses and white doves….Beth knew there was nothing more magical than that. Yes, she could be Juliet forever.

 _After the play, 10:00pm_

The whole cast had gone out to Bob's Bar for a drink to celebrate. Even Lori went, for she claimed her high schoolers we're absolutely in love with the story. But Daryl and Beth politely declined and stayed behind to walk the amphitheater paths. They traveled in silent companionship, until Daryl cleared his throat.

Beth turned to look at him. "What's up?" He ran a hand along the back of his neck. "You-you remember that guy who helped you with your glasses a few weeks ago?" "Yeah," Beth said earnestly. "I never did catch his name."

"That-that was me."

Beth gaped at him. " _That_ was _you_?!" He nodded. "Oh Daryl that's so sweet!" He blushed and replied with, "It ain't nothin." Suddenly Daryl's face turned a little nerve wracked.

"Would- would you um…. Would you want to hang out sometime?" Beth felt her heart racing a million miles an hour. She smiled and took his hand. "Absolutely."

She grinned as they walked away. "Maybe we could do another play."


End file.
